• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.235-240
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• 2011

Purpose: Management of pressure sores has been improved, along with development of musculocutaneous flaps and perforator flaps. Nowadays, the treatment of pressure sore with perforator flaps has shown several advantages, including minimal donor site morbidity, relatively versatile flap design not only in primary cases but also in recurred cases and minimized anatomical rearrangement of regional muscle position. In this study, we report our clinical experience of gluteal perforator flap used in the treatment of a greater trochanteric pressure sore. Methods: A clinical study was performed on 7 patients who underwent total 10 operations. 1 superior gluteal artery perforator flap and 9 inferior gluteal artery perforator flaps were used to reconstruct the defect, followed by the mean observation duration of 22 months. Results: There were no total flap loss. We treated 2 cases of partial flap loss with debridement and primary repair. 2 recurred cases were successfully treated using the same method. Donor sites were all primarily repaired. Conclusion: The gluteal perforator flap could be considered as a safe and favorable alternative in the treatment of soft tissue defects in the greater trochanteric area. The advantages of the flap include low donor site morbidity and the possibility of versatile flap design not only in primary cases but also in recurred cases.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.72-74
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• 2016

The keystone flap is a fascia-based island flap with two conjoined V-Y flaps. Here, we report a case of successful treatment of a trochanter pressure sore patient with the traditional keystone flap. A 50-year-old male patient visited our department with a $3{\times}5cm$ pressure sore (grade III) to the left of the greater trochanter that was covered with eschar. Debridement was done and the defect size increased to $5{\times}8cm$ in an elliptical shape. Doppler ultrasound was then used to locate the inferior gluteal artery perforator near the wound. The keystone flap was designed to the medial side. The perforator based keystone island flap covered the defect without resistance. The site remained clean, and no dehiscence, infection, hematoma, or seroma developed. In general, greater trochanter pressure sores are covered with a perforator based propeller flap or fascia lata flap. However, these flaps have the risk of pedicle kinking and require a large operation site. For the first time, we successfully applied the keystone flap to treat a greater trochanter pressure sore patient. Our design was also favorable with the relaxation skin tension lines. We conclude that the keystone flap including a perforator is a reliable option to reconstruct trochanteric pressure sores.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.627-631
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• 2006

Purpose: Ischial region is common site of pressure sore as well as greater trochanteric area. In general, ischial pressure sore associated with a large subcutaneous bursa often requires radical surgical treatment. The authors performed sclerotherapy using absolute ethanol which was considered as an alternative in treating recurrent ischial pressure sore. Methods: From may 2005 to February 2006, 11 ischial pressure sore patients were treated sclerotherapy using absolute ethanol. The authors performed sclerotherapy using absolute ethanol in 11 patients in whom the ischial sore has recurred despite of multiple radical surgical treatment. The patients' original disorders were spinal cord injury in 9 patients, cerebral palsy in 1 patient and giant cell tumor in thoracic vertebrae 1 patient. Results: Recurrence of pressure sore was not found in any patient during the follow-up period. The swap of the bursa taken before the surgery was germ cultured and compared with the discharge from an end of the inserted drain tube. The germ cultured results after the surgery were tested negative in all patients. Conclusion: This method involves causing the bursa to become scarred and closing it up by sterilizing, fixing, and denaturing by the pharmacologic effect of absolute ethanol instead of surgical excision of the bursa. We felt that aforementioned treatment modality may be considered as an alternative in treating recurrent ischial pressure sore.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.574-579
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• 2007

Purpose: The number of sore patients are increasing steadily, especially in old ages, chronic disease and paralytic patients. Most of patients need to surgical treatment. The aim of this paper is to assess clinical analysis of surgical treatment and to consider operative methods, complications, and recurrences.Methods: We reviewed the data from 82 consecutive patients with 101 pressure sores from March 2003 to May 2006 to discuss the occurrence rate and recurrence rate according to the site on the basis of the presence or absence of paraplegic and its etiology-the patients were categorized into three diagnostic groups: traumatic paraplegics(TP), nontraumatic paraplegics (NTP), and nontraumatic nonparaplegics(NTNP). We examined the sites and sizes of each lesions, patient's state, primary causes of pressure sore, operative methods as each sites and groups, occurrence of complications and recurrences on each groups. Results: In 82 patients, 52 patients were male, 30 patients were female. The male to female ratio was 1.7 :1. Mean age was 55.8 years. 27 patients were in TP group, 35 in NTP group, and 20 in NTNP group, respectively. The common site of sore were sacral area (50.5%), greater trochanteric area(15.8%) and ischial area(13.9%). In each group, incidence rate of recurrence and complication were 11.1%, 40.7% in TP, 5.7%, 5.7% in NTP and 15%, 45% in NTNP. Conclusion: Surgeons must consider the general condition of the patient and possibility of recurrence and returning of daily life. We propose that cutaneous flap, fasciocutaneous flap or skin graft as well as musculocutaneous flap be useful to repair of sore site as each patient's state.